The best way to date an early Paul Wirt fountain pen is by examing the feed. Wirt would continue to use the standard Imprints on his barrels even though he was using newer feeds. Consequently you may have two different Wirt pens with the same imprint, but the date they were made could be off by as much 15 years. The feeds help to narrow down exactly when the pen was made.

Wirt's first major feed patent was granted on Feb. 3. 1885. This is the patent that Wirt went to court to defend often. It is comprised of two pieces of hard rubber that ride piggy back inside the section. These are the earliest pens you will find. Pens with this feed should have the simple Paul E. Wirt Pat. Feb. 85 imprint.

	In october of 1885 Wirt made some changes to this design and in October of 1885 he patented another feed with a single piece of hard rubber.
	Both of these feeds were on pens with the early Feb. 85 imprint, but this second feed dates the pen to October of that year.

Now things get tricky. See my section on Wirt Imprints for an explanation for why Wirt's next Imprint was:

PAUL E. WIRT FOUNTAIN PEN
PATD. JUNE 27 1882, & Feb 3. 1885

Wirt used this imprint from about 1887 to 1903. However several feeds fall into this catagory. You may still find this imprint with the feeds found above, which would date them to after 1887, but chances are you will find the famous Wirt paddle feed that would date the pen to 1901 to 1902.